Acoustic device supporter



May 2, 1939. B. s. LISS 2,156,504

ACOUSTIC DEVICE SUPPORTER I Filed July 19, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet l 3m entor s. LISS 2,156,504

ACOUSTIC DEVICE SUPPORTER 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 May 2, 1939. 5

Filed July 19; 1938 .May 2, 1939. B. S. LISS ACOUSTIC DEVICE SUPPORTER 3 Sheet-Sheet 3 Filed July 19, 1958 Imventor Patented May 2, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 8 Claims.

This invention relates, in general, to improvements in garments and, in particular, to garments adapted for supporting in a concealed manner a part or parts of an apparatus, such as for aiding the hearing, which is to be carried on the person of the user to be so aided.

Persons who are aillicted with poor hearing are, for the most part, self-conscious thereof and find discomfort, not physical, but mental, when they attempt using hearing aids. Since this discomfort has been more mental than physical because of the necessity of having to expose the parts of the apparatus so used, it is proposed to provide some means whereby said parts can be concealed so as not to reveal the fact that they are being employed and also to enable the person so afllicted to employ said apparatus with comfort.

Therefore, the main object of this invention is to provide an improved type of garment to be worn by a person who has poor hearing and which is adapted for being worn, either as an inner or outer garment, so that the apparatus employed for aiding the hearing may be comfortably carried in a concealed manner.

Another object is to provide a garment with a continuous tunneled passageway whereby the cords of an electrical hearing-aid apparatus may be run in av concealed manner during use of said apparatus, said passageway having pockets for concealed disposal therein of the devices of said apparatus, and said tumbling and pockets being properly positioned so that said cords and devices may be carried with maximum comfort. I

Another object herein is to provide means for ready attachment to an undergarment so that said undergarment is thereby made adaptable for carrying in a concealed and comfortable manner on the person of the wearer a complete hearingaid apparatus, said undergarment being inexpensively convertible for the purpose outlined and without injuring the former appearance thereof.

Still another object is to provide an improved pocket-forming article in which is to be disposed a part of a hearing-aid apparatus and which article is adaptable for being carried on an inner or outer garment.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become readily apparent from a reference to the following specification made in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which there are three (3) sheets and in which:

Figure 1 is a view showing the novel garment in place on and in use by the wearer;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detailed view, in elevation, of the garment shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view, in elevation, of a detail;

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are detailed sections taken 5 through the lines 4-4, 5-5 and 6--6, respectively, in Fig. 2;

Fig. 7 is a view of a modification, showing the modified article in place on the wearer;

Figs. 8, 9 and 10 are enlarged front, side and rear elevational views, respectively, of the article shown in Fig. '7, and

Fig. 11 is a section taken through the lines ll|l in Fig. 10.

In Fig. 1 there is shown the bust of a woman over which is disposed a brassire, generally indicated at ill, the showing of a brassiere being purely illustrative and it being understood that the invention is equally applicable to other types of undergarments, such as corselettes, slips and the like. The form and shape of the undergarment, such as shown at iii, are also illustrative, form and shape being optionally selective.

Brassire I0 is provided with shoulder straps l2 which are preferably widened along their lengths for reasons to appear later. The free ends of straps H are inter-connectiblein any desired manner at the back of brassiere ill, for securing the latter about the wearer's bust, the opposite ends merging into the front main body portion M of the brassiere. The material or materials out of which the brassire ill is made are purely selective. The brassiere is provided with a lining. such as is shown at 16 in Figs. 4 and 5. The brassiere may or may not be provided with elastic webbing ill for enabling proper fitting of the garment onto the wearer about the straps I 2. And, the brassiere proper may be reenforced in any suitable manner to increase its life and maintain its original shape and assembly.

To the inner surface of the shoulder strap I? which is preferably on the side of brassiere l0 corresponding to that side of the head on which the afiected ear is located, there is marginally stitched or otherwise secured an elongated strip portion IQ of the lining l6, lining I6 being of any. selected material, said strip portion l9 extending along the under face of said strap l2 substantially from its free end and corresponding substantially in width and contour to said strap to provide with said strap thereat an elongated pocket or tunnel 22 (see Fig. 6). Strip portion I! along its length is provided with a plurality of spaced openings 24 disposed transversely thereof for afiording a series of accesses to the strap pocket 22. In a majority of cases it is desirable to have the strip portion I9 and pocket 22 extend substantially the entire length of the strap I2 as shown, but this length is obviously alterable at will and as desired, the provision of the pocket or tunnel 22 in a concealed manner under the outer facing of the strap I2 being paramount. The width of said strip portion I9 is optional but must obviously be great enough for, the purpose to be explained later. Each strap I2 may be provided with a pocket 22, if desired, but this is normally not necessary for obvious reasons.

In the front of each of the straps I2 adjacent the shoulder portion thereof there is provided an opening 26 which communicates with the pocket 22, and each of said openings, if the brassire I0 is made of any material other than lace or other open-work fabric, is covered with a section of netted material 28 stitched or otherwise secured to the strap I2 over the opening 26 to perform a function to be later explained. The shape of the opening 26 is optional, but it preferably extends to within a comparatively short distance, say one or two inches, from the shoulder level. Also, though only one opening 26 is needed for practical purposes, two are preferably provided, one on each strap I2, for the sake of symmetry and appearance.

To the inner surface of body portion I4 of brassire I0 directly below the strap I2 is secured a sec"' n of fabric 30 to form with said body portion thereat an inner pocket 32, pocket 32 being formed by marginal stitching 34 and being free of said stitching at the top to form an opening 36 for providing communication between the-strap pocket 22 and the pocket 32. Pocket 32 is preferably disposed as a whole above the actual bust area of the brassire and in communication with the netted opening 26, the width of opening 36 thereinto being preferably variable by means of elastic webbing 36 which extends between and is secured to loose portions of section 30 directly below said opening. After the device to be carried by pocket 32 has been inserted thereinto and its most comfortable position determined, the wearer may add stitching across the bottom of the pocket 32 for supporting said device at the determined and proper.

level, the webbing 38 preventing sidewise displacement of the device after said positioning.

The bottom of pocket 32 lies substantially above the actual bust portion of the brassiere and has an opening 46 therein. The fabric section 30 materially decreases in width beyond the opening 40 and continues downwardly, as at 4|, to provide in conjunction with the portion of the brassire I0 thereat a narrow, elongated, openended pocket or tunnel 42, pocket 42 being formed by the customary method of stitching or otherwise securing the two side edges of the reduced portion 4| of fabric 30 below opening 40 to the brassire I0.

An additional section of fabric 44 .is provided and stitched or otherwise secured at its two side edges and bottom to the inner surface of brassire I0 directly below the tunnel 42 to form with the brassiere thereat an enlarged, concealed pocket 46 in communication with said tunnel. Pocket 46 is disposed substantially wholly on the side of brassire I0 embodying the aforementioned tunnels and pockets and extends for a substantial distance toward the corresponding free end of the brassiere to provide for the adjustment of theposition of the device to be carried by the pocket 46. The opening into the pocket 46 from the tunnel 42 may be provided with means, such as elastic webbing 46, for resilient adjustment of the size thereof.

As shown in Fig. l, the receiver 50 of the hearing-aid arrangement is fitted into the afilicted ear and an electric cord 52 extends therefrom preferably through a pin 54 which is concealed in the hair. The cord 52 leads downwardly in any desired manner selectively into and through any one of the spaced openings 24 in the strip portion IQ of the lining I6 to run therefrom along the tunneled pocket 22 in the brassire strap I2 into proximity with the opening 36. To the free end of cord 52 is electrically secured a micro phone 56 which is placed through the flexible opening 36 into the pocket 32 and arranged therein in the position which will afiord the greatest comfort, any of such positions affording outside communication of sound waves with the microphone through the netted opening 26, after which positioning the pocket 32 may be stitched near the bottom of the microphone to hold same at the level of the selected position, the elastic webbing 38 tending to bind the microphone in place within the pocket 32. For associating the receiver 56 and microphone 56 with a source of power, a second cord 58 is electrically secured at one end to the microphone 56 and at the opposite end to a battery 60, the cord 58 passing between said microphone and battery from the pocket 32 through the opening 46, thence through the tunneled pocket 42, and finally into the pocket 46 wherein the battery 60 is confined, pocket 46 being large enough to accommodate the battery in any of a number of selected positions. It is seen, therefore, that the system of tunnels and pockets forms a continuous run for the parts of the hearing-aid apparatus, that said parts are concealed thereby so as to make same substantially exteriorally unnoticeable, and that said parts are supported in the most available and comfortable positions.

In Figs. '7 through 11, there is shown a pocketforming casing, generally indicated at 62, which is adapted for being interiorly or exteriorly supported by a man's belt 64, as shown in Fig. 7, or which is likewise suitable for being supported by the previously described brassire I0 underneath an outer garment or in, say, the pocket 46. Casing 62 is made preferably of some type of wear-resisting fabric, or it might be made of leather or the like, and is proportioned in size in accordance with the device'to be contained therewithin, said device being presumably a battery, or a microphone, or a combination batterymicrophone.

Casing 62 is provided with a-false bottom 66 to prevent wear and frayed edges thereat, a substantially inflexible fabric strip 68 of double thickness providing the only means for supporting the battery or microphone within the casing from beneath and preventing its displacement through bottom 66, said strip encircling said casing at its bottom 66, its front I0 and its back 12 and extending centrally of said bottom, front and back. To the upper end of strip 68 at rear 12 of casing 62 is secured an end of a flexible strap 14, strap 14 being adapted for encircling the top of casing 62 and to have its free end removably attached in any suitable manner near the top of casing front 10, such as by a buttonbutton hole arrangement I6, as shown, for securely and resiliently holding the device within the casing in place.

If it is desired to use casing 62 in conjunction with a battery-microphone combination, then it is advisable to provide, in front 10 of the casing at a point near which the microphone portion of said combination is to be supported, an opening 18. Except for the opening 18, which may or may not be provided with a section of perforated material. front Hlo'f the casing is preferably imperforate, presenting an attractive, unbroken appearance.

Sides of casing 62 mayeither be formed by overlapping portions of front Ill or furnished separately, as desired, but the former is preferable. Sides 80 at the rear are preferably folded inwardly toward the strip 88 to form opposite portions 82 of the back 12, the adjacent side edges of portions 82 being spaced from the opposite edges of strip 68 and having stitched or otherwise secured thereon apair of reenforcing strips 84. A plurality of spaced, flexible bands 86 of double thickness are provided transversely of and at the rear of the casing 62, the ends of said bands 'being stitched or otherwise secured to and between the reenforcing strips 84 and back portions 82, as shown in Fig. 10, so that the space within casing 62 is adjustable for accommodating variable sizes of hearing-aid devices. Casing 62 is provided at its rear 12 and in any appropriate manner with means, such as spaced pins 88, for interiorly or exteriorly securing said casing to a garment, said casing being also and selectively supportable, if desired, by the belt 64 which may be fed, as shown in Fig. 10,

between a pair of the spaced bands 86 and behind the strip 68 thereat. The casing 62 is provided with a flap 90 which is stitched to the back 12 and is adapted for enclosing the top of the casing and to be held in place by the strap 14 which overlies it.

Although the invention has been described with some detail such description is not intended to be definitive of the limits of the inventive idea. The right is reserved to make such changes in the arrangement of parts, in the specification and in the drawings as will come within the purview of the attached claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a garment, a tunneled passageway formed along the inner surface of the garment, and a pocket formed on said inner surface in communication with said "passageway, said passageway being adapted for receiving the conduits of an electrical hearing-aid apparatus and said pocket being adapted for receiving the microphone of said apparatus, whereby said conduits and microphone are supported and concealed by said passageway and pocket.

2. In a garment, a tunneled passageway formed along the inner surface of the garment, a pocket formed on said inner surface in communication with said passageway, and an opening in the outer surface of the garment opposite said pocket, said passageway being adapted for receiving the conduits of an electrical hearing-aid apparatus and said pocket being adapted for receiving the microphone of said apparatus and communicating same with said opening, whereby said conduits and microphone are supported and concealed by said passageway and pocket.

3. In a garment, a tunneled passageway formed along the inner surface of the garment, and a pair of pockets formed on said inner surface in communication with said passageway, said passageway being adapted for receiving the conduits of an elect1 ical hearing-aid apparatus and thereby concealing same, the conduits being operatively connected to the microphone and battery of the apparatus and said pockets being adapted. for receiving and concealing same.

4. In a garment having a body portion and a shoulder strap portion, a tunneled passageway formedin and along the shoulder strap portion and adapted for receiving and concealing the conduits of an electrical hearing-aid apparatus, and a pocket formed on the inner surface of the body portion in communication with said passageway and adapted for receiving and concealing the microphone of said apparatus which isoperatively connected to said conduits.

5. In a garment having a body portion and a shoulder strap portion, a tunneled passageway formed in and' along the shoulder strap portion and continuing therefrom along the inner surface of the body portion and adapted for re-. ceiving and concealing the conduits of an electrical hearing-aid apparatus, and a pocket formed on the inner surface ofthe body portion in communication with said passageway and adapted for receiving and concealing the battery of said apparatus which is operatively connected to said conduits.

6. In a garment having a body portion and a shoulder strap portion, a tunneled passageway formed in and along the shoulder strap portion and continuing therefrom along the inner, surface of the body portion and adapted for receiving and concealing the conduits of an electrical hearing-aid apparatus, and a pair of pockets formed on the inner surface of the body portion in communication with said passageway and adapted for receiving and concealing the microphone and battery of ,said apparatus which are operatively connected to said conduits.

7. In a garment having a body portion and a shoulder strap portion, a tunneled passageway formed in and along the shoulder strap portion and adapted for receiving and concealing the conduits of. an electrical hearing-aid apparatus, a pocket formed on the inner surface of the body portion in communication with said passageway and adapted for receiving and concealing the microphone of said apparatus which is operatively connected to said conduits, and an opening in the outer surface of the body portion adjacent said pocket and microphone facing said opening.

8. An inner garment for supporting the parts of an electrical system employed for aiding the hearing of an individual comprising, a tunneled passageway formed along the inner surface of the garment, and a pair of pockets formed on ,said inner surface and in communication with said passageway, one of said pockets being disposed intermediate the ends of said passageway and the other of said pockets being disposed at onepf said ends, said pockets and said passageway being adapted for receiving the microphone, battery and connecting conduits of the system for supporting and concealing same, the

batteryand microphone being operatively connected to and by the conduits.

BESS s. mss. 

